Wednesday, December 23, 2015

I found this cloth at the local thrift store and was charmed by the hardanger motifs on it. I think it was a cloth napkin but not entirely sure. It had stains on it but nothing near the motifs so it was fair game for upcycling in my eyes.

One corner had the larger hardanger motif - very nicely stitched.

Kitty corner to that motif was this smaller one which was a nice compliment to the other.

The edges of the cloth were nicely finished and fringed so I decided how large I wanted it and added nun stitch to the unfinished sides to create a stable fringed edge all the way around. A bit of felt and silk ribbon from the stash and I had a nice needlebook.

I used the smaller motif and more nun stitching to create a scissor fob using stash threads to create the twisted cord and the tassel. It made a nice little gift for a stitching friend!

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Believe it or not, I am finally catching up here! The advantage to having given up on housework during the renovations seems to be more stitching time - yay!
So, another round robin project caught up and mailed off. I found some 17th century stitching patterns from an old issue of Linen Quarterly, part of a sampler there, and used those so here is what my addition looked like...

It was a lovely stitch and I actually think I will do the same bands on another sampler round robin I am involved in - I liked stitching it that much!

This is how the round robin project is shaping up so far. The eyelet border was started by the person whose project it is and will be completed by her at the end. Do check out the lovely band of needlewoven trees someone added at the bottom - they are to die for!

Monday, December 7, 2015

I wonder if it is only Canadian kids who say that - H-E-double hockey sticks? Anyway, one way or another, it has been renovation hell around here the last couple weeks!
Here is "the Man" taking up the original flooring in the great room downstairs. Since the church was built in the very early 1900's, these boards have seen over 100 years of use and they didn't owe anybody anything. We had them refinished about 20 years ago but there wasn't enough wood left to sand them down again.

So, up they all came...then the paper lining under them, and all the dirt that had seeped down over 100 years. So, if you ever gave any thought to where all the topsoil blew away to during the Dirty Thirties, wonder no more - it was all under my floor boards! After this was done, the Man laid the new subfloor down. The plan now is to wait until the walls are all repaired, washed and painted before the new flooring goes down. Hopefully this will all happen during this month of December.

Now, here is the hell part of the renovation. Working on one side of the great room at a time everything from had to be shoved over to the other side, then moved back when he worked on the second side. Two bookshelves had to be emptied so they could be moved, the poor fish in the aquarium spent a week in barely enough water to cover their fins, china cabinet emptied and moved and all my stitching paraphernalia and paperwork shuffled back and forth before ending up on the dining room table for the duration. Now of course it all has to be sorted and sifted through and find new homes, only to have to move it all again later in the month. I think I am giving up on housework until this project is over! Good idea - stitch instead!